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Two of the NBA’s most lackluster teams might be put to the test when the Detroit Pistons go down to Texas to take on a possible Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks squad.
While the Mavs are a certified playoff shoo-in whenever the Slovenian Legend is leading the charge, they just recently nabbed their first win sans their All-NBA point guard, and it was only in technicality as Doncic exited the game midway through due to an ankle injury.
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Luckily for Dallas, Luka’s x-rays came back negative after he rolled his ankle against the Phoenix Suns and was diagnosed with just a minor sprain that would list him with a day-to-day status moving forward.
While the Mavs need him back as soon as possible, his long-term health obviously takes precedence, and it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see him miss two full games — which would hold him out in this upcoming clash against a struggling Pistons team.
Not only would keeping Luka out of this game be the best move for both his health and the team’s future, it would also present a great opportunity for the Mavericks and Head Coach Jason Kidd to learn how to keep Dallas afloat when their superstar needs a breather, especially in preparation for what they hope will be a long playoff run.
Currently 0-5 when Doncic misses the entire game — with losses against struggling teams such as the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, and Oklahoma City Thunder — this squad clearly needs to learn how to win even when their best player isn’t available.
If they’re unable to nab a victory against a gutter team like the Detroit Pistons — especially without arguably their best player Cade Cunningham — the Mavs will need to take a serious look at their roster before the trade deadline and figure out how to surround Luka with a stronger supporting cast to gear up for this year’s postseason run.
With talents like Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood and homecourt advantage behind them, Dallas has everything they need to pull off a dub against a team that’s actively looking to lose as many games as possible in order to maximize their lottery chances in the most loaded draft class in recent memory.
Establishing both Wood and Dinwiddie as more prominent on-ball threats will only help to take pressure off of Luka for the rest of the season and their potential playoff run.
Game day 💪 Who's coming to @AACenter tonight?@7eleven | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/9IQmggQ2rP
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 30, 2023
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| Title: Detroit Pistons vs Dallas Mavericks betting preview
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: Jan 30, 2023
